An Adage Here and an Adage There
by GetDrunkOnVictory
Summary: Collection of drabbles and one-shots written for The Twilight Twenty-Five, round 7. Each prompt stands alone and does not relate to any of the others written.
1. Prompt 7

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella, Alice**

**Rating: T**

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"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Los Angeles, City of Angels. If you live in Los Angeles, welcome home. If—" The flight attendant's nasal voice finally caused the events of the past week to sink in.

A trip to Vegas with the best friend and her older brother … Lounging by the pool, some gambling, and copious amounts of alcohol … Hazy memories of impersonators, flying rice, and flowers.

My hands gripped the armrest until my knuckles turned white and a large hand covered mine. The feel of the thin, cold metal was the final piece. I … I'm … _married_.

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**AN:** Please ignore the em dash that thinks it's a word.

Thank you to Wednesday_in_LA with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	2. Prompt 6

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

_**If you are an American citizen, 18+, and reading this, I hope you have already voted.**_

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella, Jacob**

**Rating: T**

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"Ow! Damn it, Jake! That's it. That's the last fucking straw. I'm taking you to the pound. They put down dogs that bite. I don't care what Bella says. I'll get her four more dogs, if she wants, but we sure as hell are getting rid of _you_."

I had almost gotten the damn dog into my car when my girlfriend pulled up in her truck.

"Edward, where are you taking Jake?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"The pound."

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Take him back inside."

I swear the smug little shit was smirking at me.

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**AN:** Thank you to Wednesday_in_LA with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	3. Prompt 14

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Alice, Rose, Bella, Emmett, Edward, Jasper**

**Rating: T**

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"Care to explain why you were spying on my sleepover?"

The three boys silently looked down at their socked feet, having decided beforehand that they would plead the Fifth if caught. They just didn't realize how hard that would be when faced with the girls they were crushing on.

Alice was standing in front of the girls, scowling; Bella was looking down at the picture she had just taken of the boys; Rose was too busy adjusting herself in her tank to care.

"We hoped to catch you changing," Emmett blurted out, his eyes glued to Rose's hands.

"EMMETT!"

"Boobs."

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	4. Prompt 1

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Blood is thicker than water.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward**

**Rating: T**

* * *

We got to know each other over two very different glasses of burgundy. We talked about our birth relatives and our chosen families, then compared his big city childhood to my small town upbringing.

Although it was rather strange to be the only one eating, Edward did fill the silence by growling at the waiter every time he lingered at our table. It did make me wonder what Edward knew that I didn't, but I thought it better to wait until we had privacy to ask.

Who would have guessed that I'd ever have a blind date with a vampire?

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to LJ Summers with Emergency Beta Service for input and Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	5. Prompt 2

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**Thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Marcus/Didyme**

**Rating: T**

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To my one and only Didyme,

I'm so sorry ... about everything. I should have done everything in my power to keep you safe. I wanted to keep you safe with me, always. Immortality means nothing if I can't see your smile whenever I turn around.

For a while, right after it happened, I did see and hear you all the time. I was quickly losing my mind. I tried everything to be with you again, but he was always there to stop me.

You'll have your revenge one day, la mia cantante. _This_ I promise you.

Yours for eternity,

Marcus

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**AN:** Thank you to Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy and The Original Bella for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	6. Prompt 5

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: No pain, no gain.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Emmett, Edward, and Rose**

**Rating: T**

* * *

"Keep going, Emmett. Give me ten more." He said that fifteen sit-ups ago.

"Fuck, Edward. I'm sore all over and don't think I can move anymore."

"Come on, man. Remember what that girl called you?"

_Tub of lard._

"You've already given up so much and got the diet down. This is the next step, you got this."

Then _she_ walked in. "Good morning, boys. You're doing really well, Emmett." She smiled and kept walking to her office in those tight little shorts.

This was all for her – Rosalie – the owner of the gym and health nut extraordinaire. I kept going.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to callmepagliacci with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	7. Prompt 8

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Youth is wasted on the young.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Jake/Nessie, Esme/Carlisle, Alice**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Jake and I were at the opening of a new club.

"Hey, babe, look over there." I followed Jake's indication over to a smaller bar on the left. On top it was an older couple doing body shots – my grandparents doing body shots.

"Oh God! This is so damn embarrassing. How can they keep doing this? Don't they sleep?"

"Come on; let's get out of here before we have yet another place where we can't show our faces."

We were spotted just before we could make our escape successful.

"Nessie?!"

_Crap._

"We were just leaving, Aunt Alice." We kept walking.

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**AN: **Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and giving suggestions, but I added afterwards so those mistakes are mine. As always, thanks to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	8. Prompt 3

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Good things come to those who wait.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward, Alice**

**Rating: T**

* * *

I stand at the window overlooking the city as it rains. I find myself doing that a lot these days – thinking of her. We had agreed it'd be a one-time thing. She's getting married, and I've no place in her life.

Alice said to send her some flowers … no response.

There's banging on the door a while later. Alice has keys, but knowing her she probably went shopping before coming. She kicks the door as often as she uses her keys.

There she is, standing at _my_ door, looking like a drowned cat.

"I couldn't marry him."

Definitely not Alice.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to Marly580 with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	9. Prompt 12

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Once bitten, twice shy.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward, Alice**

**Rating: T**

* * *

"Bella Swan, is that a hickey I see on your neck?!"

I pulled the collar of my hoodie higher and continued reading. No way was I responding to that.

"How can you have a hickey? You don't even talk to anybody!"

"We're in a library, Alice," I hissed at her while attempting to ignore the snickers from the few people around us.

"You will tell me who it was, Isabella Marie."

I turned to glare at Alice, but of course _he_ chose that exact moment to walk by and wink at me.

"Edward fucking Cullen!"

There went my wallflower status.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to Marly580 with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	10. Prompt 25

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Kate/Garrett, Lauren, Tanya**

**Rating: T**

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Another day, another dollar. It isn't so bad working for my Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazar. At least I could say that I liked my bosses and I never had to be nervous about any suggestions that I came up with. I moved out here for school and they offered me a room in their house and a job in their organic goods store.

Truthfully, the only problem I have is with some of the people in this town. I haven't met everybody yet, so I can't make a general observation. But the majority of the people that I have met are self-centered and judgmental. My past encounters have left me not wanting to meet anymore of the people that live here.

Of course my first customer of the day has to be one of those people that I truly dislike. Miss Lauren Mallory, who thinks she is God's gift to the entire world. Rich, popular, prom queen, and unfortunately for the rest of us no one has told her that high school is over.

"I need an oatmeal face mask," she tells me while fixing her hair in the mirror that we had on the counter next to the bamboo reading glasses.

"Aisle four …" I glance up at her "… or you can go to the spa down on 65th." _And keep yourself as far away from me as possible_, I add in my mind.

She stops messing with her face long enough to look at me like I am mental. "Well, go get it."

I make it a point to lean over the counter to look at her legs. "The lack of plaster on your lower half indicates that you should have no trouble walking and getting it yourself. Or maybe you just don't know how to read."

She scoffs and stomps over to the fourth aisle and I go back to my sketchbook.

Some time passes and a few more customers come in, but they lose themselves in the aisles and I'm left to my sketches. That is until Lauren and her attitude come back to the counter. I have to rush to move my sketchbook out of the way when she carelessly dumps her selections on the counter. _Bitch._

I don't notice Garrett walk in while I'm ringing up Lauren's purchases until he's standing at the counter.

"Good morning, lovely. Can I interest you in having a wonderful dinner with me tonight in which we get to know each other and fall madly in love?"

I ignore him as I continue with Lauren in front of me, but I'm sure he can see my lips twitch as I fight a smile.

"Can't get away tonight? That's perfectly all right. We could always have a grilled cheese and tomato soup picnic in the park on Monday. Or a pancakes and French toast breakfast with perfectly golden hash browns at the diner on Tuesday. Maybe you'd prefer getting together for a cold chocolaty-caramel and milk blended coffee on Wednesday evening where I keep you entertained for so long that you get hungry and we have no choice but to have a wonderful dinner together because we are just so fascinated with each other that we can't bear to part just yet."

"I'll have breakfast in bed with you on Tuesday after we have dinner together on Monday," Lauren says while dragging her finger along Garrett's arm. Can you believe this little sket cadet?

"I'm busy." He doesn't take his eyes off of me, but he removes her hand from his arm and takes a small step away from her.

"But you just said–"

"I'm only free, if it's for Kate."

"Who's Kate?"

_She can't be fucking serious._ Garrett and I both look down at my nametag and notice that I am in fact wearing my own.

For the first time since he walked in, Garrett takes his eyes off me and looks at Lauren. He opens his mouth to say something to her, but shakes his head seemingly giving up on her before turning back to me. "I'll be by tomorrow, Katie."

I quickly finish up with Lauren to get her the hell away from me and I may or may not have accidentally on purpose left one or two things out of her bags.

My cousin, Tanya, speaks from behind me and I startle not realizing that she had been standing there. "I can't stand Mallory. She's like the town bicycle…"

"Everyone gets a ride," we finish together.

Tanya gives a short chuckle before becoming serious. "Why do you keep turning down Garrett?"

Garrett Ameriot has come into the store almost every day for the last month trying to get me to go out with him. He's pretty creative with his date scenarios and it makes me wonder how much effort he would truly put into it. Would he put as much effort into the date as he has been just trying to get me to say yes or would all of this build-up just lead to disappointment? There is one thing that I have to say about him though, even with my consistently negative responses he is never without a compliment and a genuine smile.

"I don't know why I keep telling him no, Tan. I just do." I truly don't know why I still haven't agreed to a date with him. He's nice, smart, funny, and he has turned down all female advances since he began asking me out including slutty Lauren Mallory who we all know is a sure thing.

"Well you better figure it out before he thinks that you really aren't interested and stops asking."

It's as if the universe heard her and has decided to prove a point because Garrett doesn't return to the store for almost two weeks.

It's been a while since I've seen him and I wasn't expecting to see him today either. It's almost closing time and the store had been shockingly busy today. In fact, this is the first chance that I've gotten all day to even open my sketchbook. I'm hunched over my sketchbook at the front counter when a flash comes out of nowhere. I look up quickly and I'm shocked to see Garrett lowering a camera from his face. For the first time in the couple of months that he's been coming in here, his smile is nervous.

"Garrett, it's been a while."

"Uh, yeah … I had two back-to-back photo shoots out of town. I was going to come by before I left, but I overslept and almost missed my flight." Tanya had told me he is a photographer, but I didn't realize that he is big enough to be called out of state for a shoot.

"So what's with the picture taking now?"

He looks down at the camera and fiddles with the buttons as he answers. "I've gotten pretty used to seeing you almost every day and while I was gone I realized that I, a professional photographer, don't even have one photograph of you. That's not why I'm here though." The smile I've come to expect is back on his face and he's looking at me again. "Lunch tomorrow with some ham and Swiss on toasted buttery croissants and orange soda?"

I shake my head and fight back my smile.

"Okay." He sighs and nods in resignation before turning towards the door.

"Hey, Garrett." He pauses, but doesn't turn to look at me. "The store closes in twenty minutes and the diner is still serving pancakes and French toast with perfectly golden hash browns."

He turns to me with his mouth hanging open in shock and I finally stop holding back the smile that's been begging to take over my face since that first morning he walked in here.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to my best friend, **The Original Bella**, for catching my mistakes and to **Pandora's Box is Heavy** for prereading and just generally putting up with me.

**ericastwilight** suggested that Carmen and Eleazar own an organic goods shop. (She spoke to me and I may or may not have squealed in excitement. Don't judge me.)

I am not responsible for the couple of insults thrown at Lauren. **Destructo Girl** on twitter ( dearsaima) chose "sket cadet" and the lovely** Pandora's Box is Heavy** chose "the town bicycle."

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	11. Prompt 10

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Curiosity killed the cat.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Alice, Mrs. Cope, James**

**Rating: T**

* * *

**No actual cats were harmed in the writing of this drabble.**

* * *

"Mrs. Cope, get back here!" The white fluffy cat walks along the fence ready to invade the privacy of yet another neighbor. She must have been a gossiping old lady in another life.

She looks me in the eye before launching herself into the backyard of the guy living behind me. I really don't want to go over there; he gives me the creeps.

His door opens slowly when I knock.

"My cat went into your yard, may I get her?"

"Your cat isn't here." He shuts the door, but I swear I saw fur on the shovel he held.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to SusanQ with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	12. Prompt 4

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Do as I say, not as I do.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Peter/Charlotte, Jasper, Carlisle/Esme**

**Rating: T**

* * *

I can clearly remember the day I moved in with the Cullens.

It was a couple months after my eighth birthday and my parents came into my room with boxes and told me to pack everything I wanted to keep. When we were ready to go, my dad hot-wired a car from down the street and we filled it with my boxes and their bags. I didn't understand why my mom was crying if we'll all be together.

I didn't understand until we pulled into the Cullens' driveway.

My parents quietly moved my boxes and stacked them on the porch. I stood off to the side and watched as they only moved their bags to put them into the, now empty, back seat.

"Son, your mother and I have to go away for a while. We don't know how long we'll be gone, but know that we loved you and we always will. We weren't the best parents, but Carlisle and Esme will be. We want you to have a good life and to grow up to be a great man. Don't follow in my footsteps. Don't become your old man or one day you might find yourself on the other side of this goodbye." My dad squeezed my shoulder and kissed the top of my head before my mom engulfed me in her arms.

"Baby boy, you mind your manners and do everything Carlisle and Esme tell you to. They'll take care of you, sweetheart. I love you so much." She had continued talking, but the crying had gotten so much stronger that I couldn't understand anything else she said.

"Charlotte, honey, we really have to get going now. We need to switch cars before hitting the interstate." Mom hugged me tightly and covered my face in kisses before hurrying into the car.

It wasn't until they were out of the driveway that it really hit me that they were leaving me here and I took off after them. I chased them down the street, but I couldn't catch up to them. I didn't realize that Carlisle had followed me until he picked me up and together we watched the car turn the corner and out of sight.

Carlisle carried me back to their house and Esme was still standing on the porch silently crying. When Carlisle put me down at the top of the steps, Esme took my head and led me inside the house. "You can pick any of the guestrooms to keep for yourself."

Carlisle Cullen had grown up with my dad, but they followed very different paths in life. Carlisle studied hard and worked his way through school to become a doctor. He met Esme his senior year of high school when she was a junior and they haven't left each other's side since. Dad started hanging out with the wrong crowd when he turned thirteen. He refused to sell and do drugs so they taught him how to hot-wire cars and pick locks. He met Mom during their sophomore year of high school and she has always done anything and everything for him.

Carlisle had ordered pizza for dinner that night and Esme sat with me and we poured over her piles of catalogues so I could pick out things for my new room. Esme was an interior designer so she said that I could have whatever I wanted. I wanted to tell her that my parents would come back for me, but she seemed so excited and I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I chose a car theme.

"Dad will love it when they come back to take me home," I told Esme a couple of hours later as we reviewed all of the things I had chosen. The bed was in the shape of a sports car. The store sold it in blue, but Esme was going to find someone to paint it red for me. Dad loves red convertibles. The desk looked like a shortened truck bed that attached to the wall and the stool looked like a jack with a cushioned top. It even had to be pumped to move it up and down just like a real jack. The television stand, dresser, and bookshelves were made to look like tool racks and utility shelves.

That night, Esme tucked me in and Carlisle told me a story about when he and Dad were my age. When they left the room, I pulled out a brand new notebook and marked down the first day without my parents. I slipped the notebook and pen under my pillow and went to sleep.

For the next ten years, all I get from my parents are postcards from different cities around the country. Knowing my parents the way that I do, I know that they will have already moved on to a different city by the time I receive each postcard. There are never any return addresses or any indication of who they are from. They all just say the same three words where a message goes, "We love you."

I swore I saw them at my high school graduation, but by the time I got to where they had been standing they were nowhere to be found. I know that they had been there though because two days later, I received a postcard from my hometown and this time they had added "congratulations" to their standard message.

That was eight years ago. Despite Carlisle's urging, I opted out of a college education and went to a vocational school instead. I used everything that my father taught me all those years ago and have become a legitimate mechanic. Carlisle helped me open my own garage so that I don't have to work for someone else and, of course, Esme helped to decorate it. In a way I followed in the footsteps of my two fathers, taking the best from both of them.

I still receive regular postcards and I've dedicated an entire wall in the garage to showcasing them. The message I have become so used to has changed though. About five years ago it became one word longer, but the message is entirely different.

_I still love you._

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to my best friend, **The Original Bella**, for catching my mistakes and to **Pandora's Box is Heavy** for prereading and just generally putting up with me.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	13. Prompt 13

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: The grass is always greener on the other side.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Jessica, Mike**

**Rating: T**

* * *

**AN:** Jessica is in normal text, while _Mike is italicized._

* * *

I sit in the tree-house that I made Daddy build me and watch Mike Newton next door.

_I wish I had an awesome tree-house like Jessica Stanley._

His mommy cooks for him and his daddy plays with him. My mommy always has a friend over and sends me away; Daddy only buys me things.

_Jessica is always showing us all this cool stuff that her mommy and daddy bought her. I just get desserts in my lunch._

Mike's mommy and daddy are always spending time with him and love him.

_I wish my babysitter smelled as nice as Jessica's nanny._

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	14. Prompt 21

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Two's company, three's a crowd.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Esme/Carlisle, Charlie**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Carlisle and Esme were cuddled in front of the fireplace. They had the house to themselves while their kids and their friends were out of town. First order of business was some quiet time being lazy before deciding which room to defile.

They had ordered some pizza to be delivered, but what they were not expecting was Charlie along with it.

"So, what shall we do while the kids are gone?" He clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly.

Their new first order of business was to get Charlie to go home and stay there. They needed Sue Clearwater.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to Akila with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	15. Prompt 22

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Ignorance is bliss.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella, Charlie**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Charlie enters the kitchen from the living room, where he had been watching sports highlights.

"You know, Ed, I wasn't too sure of you in the beginning, but it's good of you to wake up early every morning just to help my baby girl with breakfast."

Bella continues flipping pancakes, keeping her back to the rest of the kitchen in order to hide her blush. Edward turns to look at Charlie. "I'd do anything for her, sir."

What Charlie doesn't know is that Edward climbs the tree outside Bella's window and into her bed where they sleep together every night.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	16. Prompt 20

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella, Emmett, Alice**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Edward and I were in the basement of the gym to watch underground fighting. We were there to cheer on Edward's older brother, Emmett.

He was up against what looked to be a young girl, and I found myself squeezing the crap out of Edward's arm to keep from jumping in to protect her.

I knew Emmett loved fighting, but I also knew that he'd never forgive himself if he caused her serious damage.

She attacked him like a flying squirrel. With just a few strategic hits to his pressure points, she took him down.

No one saw it coming.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	17. Prompt 15

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Fight fire with fire.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Rosalie, Bella/Edward**

**Rating: T**

* * *

"I don't even know what he sees in you. You're short, your hair is flat, and you bump into _everything_. Either the sex is great – which I highly doubt – or you're paying him to pretend."

Her words fueled my anger. "You're just jealous that he doesn't want you. Miss Rosalie Hale, who thinks she's the next Miss Universe, couldn't even get a second glance from Edward Cullen." My skin felt hot under her heated glare. "For your information, we aren't having sex because, unlike you, I don't need it to keep a guy."

"Go to Hell!"

"I'll see you there!"

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	18. Prompt 17

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: To err is human; to forgive, divine.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Sam/Emily**

**Rating: T**

* * *

**AN: **This is not AU (shocking, I know) so **don't** read this as domestic abuse.

* * *

Sam Uley ran a few laps around the small hospital. He knew he needed to get control of himself and his emotions before he could even begin to beg for forgiveness from his love.

He paused in front of the door labeled _Emily Young_ and tried to push down the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. Upon entering the room, he lost control of his tears when he laid his eyes on the woman in the bed.

"I'm so sorry." He softly kissed the wounds that would forever mar her face.

"I love you," she whispered in return.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to sleepyvalentina with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	19. Prompt 9

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Practice makes perfect.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella**

**Rating: T**

* * *

"Shit! I'm so sorry, Edward. I just can't keep my hand from shaking when I do these wide curves," I tell him, defeated, as we both stand in front of the mirror.

Edward is my mentor for my apprenticeship and has volunteered his body — I mean skin — to me. We are working bit by bit on what will become a larger piece covering his entire left side.

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I have plenty of skin for you to work with." He winks at me in the mirror before turning to grab the ointment. "Now rub and dress me."

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	20. Prompt 18

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Patience is a virtue.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Carlisle/Esme, Alice**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Carlisle opened the bedroom door and watched helplessly as the little girl cowered behind the bed.

"I'd never hurt you, princess. I won't even come inside," he promised his adopted daughter. She stayed where she was and he could see her tiny hands turn white from their hold on her bed frame. "Mom— Esme made breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes and bacon just for you."

Her elfish face brightened, but he could still see the fear lurking in her eyes. He knew it would take a long time to gain her trust, but he wasn't willing to give up on her.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	21. Prompt 23

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward Sr./Elizabeth, Edward**

**Rating: T**

* * *

Edward bolts out of the corner store, ignoring the owner's calls, knowing that it's too cold for the older man to chase him. He takes the long way home to be sure no one is following him to his alley.

Bag clutched tightly in his hand, he climbs the fire escape up to the roof. He finds the little shack that's still standing and hands the beaten up bag, filled with his loot, to the young woman.

He will do whatever he needs to in order to keep his young wife, Elizabeth, and their baby, Edward Jr., safe and alive.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	22. Prompt 16

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Mind over matter.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella**

**Rating: T**

* * *

She keeps an eye on him from the other side of the bar. His eyes are focused on the sobriety token in his hands, but every once in a while they glance at the large glass of water and the smaller glass of scotch sitting in front of him.

Finishing with someone else, she looks over to find him watching her, and she knows it's time.  
She's relieved to find the scotch untouched, and smiles.

"Thanks, Bella."

"See you tomorrow, Edward."

She hopes that someday he'll start coming in just to see her and that their nightly ritual will change.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to RagsStone with Emergency Beta Service for catching my mistakes and to Pandora's Box is Heavy for prereading.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	23. Prompt 19

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: Out of sight, out of mind.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Mike, Bella, Edward, Rose**

**Rating: T**

* * *

When your best friend decides that they want to carpool to a party, just say no. Always say no. If you don't say no then you'll probably end up in the same position I'm in.

"Hey, Mike, your cup is looking kind of empty. You should go get yourself a refill. I think I just saw them roll in a new keg."

"You want anything, Bella?" Mike isn't even looking at me anymore, but I still can't get out from underneath his heavy arm.

"No, Mi—" Before I can even finish the word he is already walking away, taking his sweat with him.  
_Good riddance_, I think as I hightail it to the backyard before he comes back. I wish I had brought my car so I could have avoided Mike Newton entirely tonight. This guy has been trying to get me to go out with him since I moved here last year. My best friend, Alice, calls him a lost puppy because of the way that he follows me around at school.

I met Alice on my first day in Forks. I was at the grocery store with my dad Charlie, buying stuff for the week when this little gothic looking version of Tinkerbell stormed her way into my life. My head was in the freezer choosing a flavor of ice cream when I heard someone scream Charlie's name. This little whirlwind had just attached herself to his side and was talking a mile a minute. When she finally spotted me, she latched on and pretty much never let go. That was almost a year ago.

Once outside, I grab a beer in one of those all-telling red Solo cups. I'm lucky enough to find the patio swing in the corner of the yard completely empty. I curl up in one of its corners and just people watch while I sip my beer. Lauren and Tyler are um...dancing by the pool and— _Ew_! I am pretty sure that his hands are underneath her skirt. I _really_ don't need, nor want, to see this.

Deciding to avoid seeing the rest of the "dancing," I switch my gaze over to the pool. The pool is lit from the inside so I can clearly see the cheating that's going on in a game of chicken. I snort into my cup of beer when I see Ben tickle the bottom of Angela's feet. Alice says they've had crushes on each other since middle school, but they're both too afraid to do anything about it. I guess that a little beer makes Ben a little more confident in the flirting department.

Just as Angela pushes off the girl sitting on Ben's shoulders, a sweaty arms slips around my own shoulders. How the hell did Mike find me in his drunken state? I'm beginning to wonder if he has somehow slipped a tracker on me sometime in the last year.

"Yo, Bella!" He has officially lost control of his volume level. "I lost you there for a bit, but it looks like you had the better idea. A private porch swing in a dark, quiet corner. You didn't have to go through all of this trouble to seduce me." He tries to wink at me, but in his inebriated state it just looks like an exaggerated blink.

_All right, Bella, time to get out of here._ "You caught me, Mike. I was really hoping you would follow me out here so I could have you all to myself."

"I knew it! My charms are irritable."

_Oh Mike, your charms definitely make me irritable._

With closed eyes and fish lips, he leans in for a kiss. I'm on my feet within seconds and speed walking back inside the house.

I spilled some of my beer in my haste to get away from Mike so I top it off at the keg in the kitchen on my way to the second story. I'm not naive enough to not know what usually goes on in the bedrooms, but I'm just hoping to find an empty bathroom that I can hide out in until Alice is ready to leave.

Luckily, I find Charlotte's room empty and I know that she has a private bathroom. I leave the light in the bedroom off and make my way to the bathroom. I turn on the light in the bathroom and leave the door slightly cracked, before enclosing myself inside the bathtub behind the shower curtain.

The next hour is spent nursing my beer and reading a book on my iPod touch. I'm pretty lost in the world of fiction so I don't hear the bedroom door open, but I do hear voices as they near the bathroom. I'm just about to open the curtain to reveal myself when I realize exactly who is talking.

_When the hell did Edward get here? He wasn't here when I was downstairs_

"You're so fucking stupid. You've been in love with the girl for years and when you finally decide to grow a pair and go to a party, you let your idiot friends distract you so much that she's already left."

"Rose, you do remember that you are dating one of those idiot friends, right?"

Rose scoffs. "That doesn't make him any less of an idiot. It just means that he made one good decision in his life. Me."

I hear a thunk and assume that Edward sat down on the top of the toilet seat because Rose would have been a lot more … proper.

"But seriously, E, you really need to actually have a conversation with her."

_Who are they talking about?_

"I know, Rose. I'm never going to get the chance to talk to Bella Swan."

_Me? I shouldn't be hearing this. I should have told them I was here when I got the chance. Oh my God. Maybe if I just stay really quiet I can wait them out._ Just as I finish that thought my phone rings. Not one of those rings where it's on vibrate and quietly moves against my shirt. Nope. That would have made my life easier. Not only did my phone vibrate loudly against the porcelain bathtub, but Alice's obnoxious ringtone echoed with the bathroom acoustics.

The curtain pulls back just as I answer the phone. Rose is holding the curtain back with one hand and the other is on her hip while she taps her foot. I'm right about Edward being the one to sit on the toilet because he's still there, staring at me.

"Um...Alice...I'm going to have to call you back." I can hear her still speaking, but I hang up the phone without listening to a word of it.

"Well, Edward, it looks like she didn't leave the party after all," Rose tells Edward while still looking at me. She raises her eyebrow and turns to look at Edward. "Talk," is the last thing she says before leaving the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"So..." he clears his throat "...is hiding in a bathtub and listening to guys utterly embarrass themselves a normal occurrence for you at parties?"

"Sorry." I look down at my phone, fiddling with the cover. "Alice wouldn't let me drive and I'm hiding from Mike." I think he mumbles something about it being his fault, but I ignore it because I have no idea what he's talking about. "I...uh...didn't even realize you were here tonight."

"Yeah, well, out of sight, out of mind. Right?" He's running his fingers through his hair and chuckles nervously.

I take back what I said earlier. If your best friend decides that she wants to carpool to a party, just say yes. You might find yourself in my position: Dating a pretty cool guy who is never off your mind and very rarely out of your sight.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to my best friend, **The Original Bella**, for catching my mistakes and to **Pandora's Box is Heavy** for prereading and just generally putting up with me.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	24. Prompt 24

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: The darkest hour is just before dawn.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Emmett/Rose**

**Rating: T**

* * *

I'm looking over my schedule for the week and eating my lunch when my cell phone vibrates around the desk with a call. I look at the caller ID quickly before I answer. "Rose."

"Come over this weekend." It's all she says before my phone alerts me that the call has ended.

It annoys me to no end when she does that, but we both know that I will still show up at her place over the weekend anyway. We are sort of friends with benefits, but since the benefits have started we haven't really been friends. For some reason she feels that excuses her being a bitch to me most of the time.

She calls me again a few weeks later saying that she needs me. I, of course, show up at her place within the hour. She's wearing her robe when I get there and I can see tear stains on her pale cheeks. She must have met with her parents today. They are the only things that can make her break down like this. They don't agree with the choices she's made in her life and they never fail to remind her of that.

"Make me forget, Em. Just make me forget."

I'll do whatever she needs me to do.

The next week she shows up on my doorstep fuming about all men being chauvinistic pigs. She's a mechanic and the guys spend most of their time harassing her because they think she belongs on the hood of a car instead of under it. Her dick of a boss ignores it and has the audacity to tell her to "grow a pair."

She refuses to let me go down there and kick all their asses and chooses instead to let out her frustrations in a couple rounds of angry sex.

I'll _be_ whatever she needs me to be.

I need a date for a wedding. Rose shuts me down claiming that she'll be out of town that weekend. I leave the reception early and find her lounging on her sofa watching a movie.  
I ignore her calls for a month.

She shows up in a trench coat and heels ... and nothing else.

It's Thanksgiving and rather than take the time off work to spend it with my parents, I show up on Rosie's doorstep because I know she won't be spending the day with hers.

She's pissed because I woke her up early. We spend the day on the couch watching the parade and football. For once she lets me just hold her.

I know that no matter what the outcome is with...us, I know I that I will always be the most thankful for her.

It's Christmas Eve, I'm with my folks and she's with a friend and their family. I call her late that night so I can be the first one to with her a merry Christmas at midnight. She hangs up on me because she says I should be spending the holiday with people that I love, not talking to her.

I call her a few more times while I'm away and get sent straight to voicemail. She finally responds and tells me not to call her again until I'm back home.

I say goodbye to my parents a couple of days before the New Year. There is only one person that I wanted to both end the year and bring in the new one with.

We made fireworks of our own that night.

She hates Valentine's Day, but I want to take her out so I ignore her protests. I show up at her apartment in a suit, carrying flowers and a gift.

She throws a vase across the room that shatters against the wall next to me.

"This was just supposed to be sex!" she yells at me.

I can see the tears from where I'm still standing and I ache to go to her. "I love you, Rosie."

"Get out." I've never seen her so cold. I turn and walk out the door with every part of me begging to go back.

"Please, Emmett. Just come over. I need you." She is pleading into the phone and she knows exactly how hard it is for me to say no to her.

"You said you didn't want this, Rose. You made it perfectly clear that you don't want me."  
"Please, Em. _Please._" She's killing me slowly and softly.

"We can't keep doing this to each other, Rosalie." I can't be stern with her, no matter how hard I try to be.

"Just give me one more night, Em. That's all I ask." It will never just be one more night between us.

"Just one more night." I'm a traitor to myself. My heart, mind, and body are all committing treason and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

I'm watching her as she sleeps. The street lamp outside is shining through her curtains just enough for me to make out her features. She is always so calm when she sleeps. Nothing like the woman that I have been dealing with for the last couple of years.

I can't believe that I'm here again. I told her I loved her, then she kicked me out.

Every time I leave, I tell her that I'm not coming back until she gives us a real shot. Then I'm rushing over as soon as I hear her voice. I cannot keep doing this to myself. I have told myself a million times, but this really needs to be the last time. I cannot keep putting myself in this position just for her to keep shutting me down once she gets what she wants.

"Goodbye, Rosie," I whisper, before leaning in to softly kiss her cheek one last time.

I love her, I do. But I will never have her if she doesn't learn to love herself first.

I get dressed in the living room and the hallway, fighting every excuse not to go back in there.

I step out of her building just as the sun is rising. A new dawn. A new day to stay away.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to my best friend, **The Original Bella**, for catching my mistakes and to **Pandora's Box is Heavy** for prereading and just generally putting up with me. Pandora is the one that wanted this one to be a one-shot.

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


	25. Prompt 11

**Disclaimer:** The _Twilight_ series/universe/characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**Thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.**

**Pen Name: GetDrunkOnVictory**

**Pairing/Character(s): Charlie, Marcus, Aro, mini-Bella, Sue, mini-Edward, mini-Alice, Esme/Carlisle, James/Victoria**

**Rating: T**

* * *

**Fun Facts: **This was the first prompt I started writing, the last prompt I completed, and the longest one I've written.

* * *

**warning: **Tissues may be needed. Enjoy!

* * *

Charlie Swan stood at the window of the police station watching his little girl bounce around the open trunk of his old station wagon, standing out in her red Hello Kitty poncho and bright yellow rain boots.

"What's Bella up to, Chief?" one of the deputies, Marcus Volturi, asked coming up next to him.

"She setup a lemonade stand in the back of the wagon. You better go out there and buy some." Charlie side-eyed him before turning to the rest of the station. "That goes for the rest of you, too. I want all of you to buy at least two cups today."

Bella, like most other six-year-olds, had decided that she wanted a puppy. Not being able to deny his baby girl, Charlie had stopped by the veterinarian's office to find out how much that puppy would cost. Knowing that he would end up being the one to take care of the dog, he told Bella that she needed to raise her own money to prove to him how much she wanted a puppy.

It had been raining steadily all morning and it was getting colder this time of year; as much as Charlie wanted to stand out there with an umbrella over his daughter, he was forced to watch her from the front window because she had demanded that he remain inside. It was something about him scaring away business. He just had to make sure to hide whenever she began to look his way. It wouldn't look very good if the chief of police had to be reprimanded by a small child.

About an hour later, Charlie found himself scrambling to get to his desk as Bella pushed her way through the front door and shook off some rain onto the front carpet.

"Do you need anything, Bells?" Charlie asked the little girl while he walked over to hang up the wet poncho she had pulled off.

"No," she replied before walking up to Marcus and tugging on his trousers. "Mr. Marcus, will you keep an eye on my lemonade stand while I go to the bathroom, pretty please?"

"You don't trust your dear old dad to watch your stand?"

"Nope. The point is _not_ to drink all the lemonade, Daddy," she told her father with a little scowl that caused a little wrinkle between her eyebrows before turning back to Marcus. "So, will you?" she asked a little impatiently. Charlie was easily able to recognize her wiggling as the beginnings of her potty dance.

"Of course, Miss Bella, anything I should know?" Marcus knelt down to her level and pulled out his notepad, poised to take notes.

Bella tapped her chin in thought then explained her recipe, told him that her price was fifty cents, and that there were "abso-positively no discounts" before running off to the bathroom.

Marcus shot Charlie a sheepish smile and went outside to do the work requested of him from his new pint-sized boss.

Charlie was still grumbling at his desk about how he wouldn't have drank all of the lemonade when Sue Clearwater, the dispatcher, threw a crumpled paper ball at him in order to get his attention.

"Aro Volturi is on line two and says he has some information for you."

"Sorry, Sue," Charlie apologized, the tips of his ears reddening as he picked up the phone. "What can I do for you, Aro?" Aro Volturi was the eldest of the Volturi brothers and the chief of police over in Port Angeles, while the twins, Marcus and Caius, were deputies under Charlie in Forks.

"We had detained a man by the name of James Hunter after receiving several complaints that he was watching children in the park. Unfortunately, he escaped this morning and we now believe that he may have found his way to Forks …"

While Charlie continued his conversation with Aro, Bella had returned from the bathroom and relieved Marcus of his duties. Returning inside, Marcus was called over to Sue's desk to respond to a call about a stolen car. Shelley Cope's mother-in-law reported the car stolen at least once a week and they have long ago stopped filling out the reports for her false claims.

The station was running at its usual pace and continuing their day-to-day operations when the peace was disrupted by a shriek that was quickly muffled by the slamming of a car door. Charlie and Marcus immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed outside to check on Bella, but they were only able to see the car speeding away as it carried a crying, young Bella Swan in the back seat.

Charlie took off after the car on foot and was even able to fire off a few shots before it became impossible to catch while Marcus thought to pull out his notepad and copied down the license plate number. By that time the entire station had filed out and stood in shocked silence for a few minutes as they watched their chief of police fall to his knees in the middle of the now deserted street.

"Mary Alice and Edward Anthony, you come into this kitchen right now!" Esme Cullen yelled out for her two mischievous young children.

"Yes, Mommy," they said together walking into the kitchen, the picture of innocence. Esme was not easily fooled. Being exactly ten months apart, Alice and Edward were Irish twins, but they caused the same amount of trouble any pair of identical twins would.

"Would one of you care to explain why Floppy is sitting in one of my kitchen cabinets?" Floppy was a brown and white rabbit that Carlisle's sister, Carmen, had given to Alice for her birthday the year before. The same rabbit Esme had just found sitting in the large pot she had planned to cook pasta in.

"She's hiding from Sherlock," Edward said as if it should have been obvious. Esme took in a deep breath before looking back at them. It had been a long week and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go through this with them right now. "All right and where is Sherlock?" The, now nine-year-old, black Labrador was a gift Carlisle had given to Esme a few months after they had begun dating.

"Hiding from Mittens." A grey tabby cat with white paws that Edward and his best friend Bella had found in the park as a kitten.

Esme rubbed her forehead and asked them where Mittens and Sherlock were now. "Sherlock is in the bathroom and we put Mittens in Dad's office." Carlisle, who had, until now, been sitting at the kitchen table hiding his chuckles behind the Sunday paper, immediately jumped up at the end of Edward's sentence and ran to his home office to see what type of damage had been done.

_Serves you right for laughing_, Esme thought with a smirk.

Esme had just knelt down to explain to her children why pets did not go in the kitchen cabinets when the phone began to ring. Living in such a small town, she thought it best to answer the phone now rather than deal with five more calls later, all wondering why she didn't answer this one.

"The two of you sit right there and don't move," she instructed, pointing to the kitchen table that Carlisle had abandoned before walking over to the kitchen phone that hung next to the door leading to the garage.

"Cullen residence." Esme made sure to keep an eye on Edward and Alice a she answered the phone. It wouldn't be a first if they tried to sneak off while she had her back turned in the hopes that she'd forget why she was upset.

"Esme, it is Sue. We … There's … Can … You and Carlisle should probably come down to the station." Esme had never heard Sue as a loss of words. The woman was normally so composed and her calming influence made her the perfect candidate to serve as the town's dispatcher. Hearing the distress in Sue's voice, Esme quickly ended the call and sent her little devils to get ready before walking off in search of Carlisle.

Arriving at the station soon after the phone call, the Cullens walked into what can only be described as chaos. Only a handful of people were employed at the station, but with all of them there and in the midst of various conversations while shuffling papers between the fax machine, printer, and every available surface, the station looked even smaller than it was.

Sue noticed the Cullens first and grabbed her box of activities that she kept under her desk for when Bella was there. She called the children over to her and led them to the snack counter tapping Charlie's shoulder on their way past him.

What looked like an argument between Charlie and Marcus ended rather abruptly as Charlie motioned Esme and Carlisle to follow him into his tiny office. Charlie was normally not a man known for expressing his feelings, but they could see the utter anguish on his face, the unshed tears in his eyes, and the way he seemed to sag as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. At noticing this, Esme collapsed into the nearest chair and allowed the silent tears to slide down her face before Charlie even had the chance to fill them in on what was happening. From the phone call she received from Sue to the devastation that was the town's chief of police, Esme knew that whatever they had called them in to tell them was very bad and more likely than not had everything to do with a certain tiny brunette. The last time they had seen a distraught Charlie was when his wife Renee had passed leaving him behind with a cranky two-year-old that was still being potty-trained. Even then Charlie looked nowhere near as devastated as he did right then.

Placing a comforting palm on his wife's back, Carlisle pleaded with Charlie to let them know what was going on.

"I … um …" Charlie paused to clear his throat. "I received a phone call this morning from Aro over in Port Angeles. They had a man in custody by the name of James Hunter. Aro said he might be in Forks. He … uh …" Charlie stopped the pacing he had been doing since they entered his office and sat down in the worn chair behind his desk. A few tears escaped before he continued in a much rougher voice, "Bella was taken this morning. She was in the parking lot selling lemonade. We all thought someone else was keeping an eye on her. It was only a few minutes. It's my entire fault. I should have insisted on staying out there with her or forcing her to sell from inside the station. I –" A small sob escaped him before he could muffle the rest as he laid his head in his arms on top of the desk. Esme quietly rushed over, clinging to him and whispering comforting words while her own tears dampened the back of his uniform. Too shocked to do anything, Carlisle collapsed into the chair Esme had vacated.

At the front of the station, Edward and Alice were munching on sugar cookies and coloring while, unbeknownst to them, Sue sat watching them wishing that there was a way to always keep them this happy and carefree. She knew they would have to tell them what was going on, especially when they inevitably asked about the whereabouts of their best friend. Truthfully, Sue was surprised they hadn't asked already and was hoping she would be able to keep them sufficiently distracted until Charlie and the Cullens were ready to talk to them. She could already see how hard this whole situation was for Charlie and everyone else at the station, she couldn't imagine how hard it would be for such young, impressionable minds to learn that their best friend was kidnapped.

"Oh shit!" Marcus exclaimed looking at the papers in his hand not seeing the glare that Sue was trying to burn him with.

"Marcus Volturi, little ears have spongy minds and I suggest that you remember that."

"Sorry, munchkins. I really need to get this to Charlie and Aro." Marcus said absentmindedly as he walked over to the Chief's door.

Charlie and Carlisle had already composed themselves and Esme was wiping away the last of her tears by the time Marcus knocked on the office door. With a nod from Charlie, Carlisle opened the door and Marcus rushed in barely acknowledging the Cullens in the room.

"Chief, we found the car," Marcus announced slamming the papers he was carrying on the desk.

"Where is it?!" Marcus jumped at the surround sound shouting.

"Well … We didn't exactly find the car. What I meant was that we know who the car belongs to," Marcus stated nervously. "It turns out that old Mrs. Cope's claims were actually real this time. The culprit took the car from the library earlier. About an hour before … Bella."

"James," Charlie growled.

"We can't make assumptions just yet, Chief. We need to be cops first in this situation. We can't let out feelings cloud our judgment. You and I both know the things that can happen if we do and no one in this town wants that," Marcus said sternly as he and Charlie glared at each other. "I'm going to call the Copes to find out if they ever had some type of lo-jack or GPS put into the car, then I'll call Aro about putting out an APB." With that Marcus grabbed the papers off the desk and walked out the door.

Esme shot Carlisle a look, but before anything else could be said Edward ran into the office with little Alice on his heels. Edward went straight to his mother while Alice attempter to scale the length of her father.

"Mom, tell Alice that dinosaurs can't be purple," Edward begged with a look of disgust.

"Daddy, tell Edward that the girl dinosaurs were pretty and purple is pretty," Alice said the last word to her brother with a scowl.

Esme held back her giggle while Carlisle calmly explained to his children that since dinosaurs were there before people we can't be sure what colors they were so it is entirely possible that there were indeed purple dinosaurs.

"Whatever." Edward scowled at his smug little sister before turning to the previously silent Charlie, "Mr. Chief, where is Bella?" That one question sobered the entire room reminding them of why they were there and making Esme forget about chastising Edward on his word choice. The three adults looked at each other unsure how to proceed; not noticing that the perceptive children had already figured out the silence meant something bad.

"Daddy." Alice put her tiny hand on Carlisle's face, turning him to look at her. "What happened to Bella? Is she sick?"

"Not exactly, princess." Carlisle moved to sit in the remaining chair and glanced at his wife while Alice stood on his lap so she could see his face. "Do you remember when the Chief and Officer Caius went to the school and talked to you all about strangers?" Carlisle waited until both his children nodded their heads before continuing, "Some strangers may be okay, but some strangers can be very bad people, which is why you have to remember to always find an adult that you know whenever a stranger tries to talk to you."

"And you must never, ever go anywhere with them," Esme interjected.

"Your mother is absolutely right –"

"We know not to talk to strangers, but what about Bella?" Edward asked again.

"Well … this morning … um," Carlisle glanced over at his wife as he stuttered through an explanation. It was a very strange thing to see the normally calm, cool, and collected Dr. Cullen stuttering. "A stranger came by this morning and he saw Bella outside."

"Did Bella tell a grown-up about the stranger?" Alice asked quietly. It was obvious the little girl was worried, even if she didn't know why.

"She tried to, princess, but the bad person took her away before she could."

"Where did they take her? Are they going to bring her back soon?"

Before Esme or Carlisle could think of what to say, Charlie had walked over and kneeled next to Alice and Carlisle. "We don't know where they took her, Alice, but we are all going to keep looking for her until we find Bella and can bring her back home." Alice threw herself at an unsuspecting Charlie and began to cry.

Sue quietly opened the door of the office a few minutes later and took in the scene before her: Charlie was clinging to little Alice like she was his lifeline while she cried, Carlisle was bent forward in his chair with his head in his hands, and Edward had buried himself against his mother while silent tears streamed down her face. Sue softly closed the door again and set off to make some coffee and hot chocolate for the sad people huddled in the office.

A few days later, the only things keeping everyone in the station from spiraling downhill were a couple of kids and a lemonade stand.

"Pink!"

"Yellow!"

"Pink!"

"Lemons aren't pink, Alice!"

"Pink is pretty! People want pretty things!"

Alice and Edward went at it for a few more hours before Sue finally dropped both jars on the table and handed each child a pitcher.

"Edward will be in charge of yellow, and Alice will be in charge of pink. You can sell both."

Alice and Edward wanted to keep Bella's lemonade stand open so she could still get her puppy when she came home. Of course, Charlie made sure to move the lemonade stand operations inside the station. It was a little hard to work around them, but no one was willing to put them at risk by leaving them outside.

It wasn't until a week later that they finally had a lead on James Hunter. He had been married to a Victoria Nomadic who had passed away the year before. Prior to her death, Victoria's aunt had left her a cabin located in the wooded areas surrounding Forks.

It took a couple more days for them to find an exact address for the cabin, but they finally had a possible location for the young Bella Swan.

Armed with Seattle's finest and the K9 unit, the Forks police department took off into the woods, heading toward their hope.

_Isabella Swan, daughter of Police Chief Charlie Swan, was found yesterday at a small cabin in the woods. She was kidnapped a little over a week ago by James Hunter while selling lemonade outside of the police station._

_James Hunter acquired the cabin that his wife inherited from a late aunt after his wife passed away from complications following a miscarriage._

_James Hunter was apprehended at the cabin and now faces 30 years to life on counts of kidnapping and child negligence. After undergoing a psych evaluation, it was believed that Hunter was delusional at the time of the kidnapping, believing that his late wife would return to him after he was able to produce a child._

_Isabella Swan will remain at Forks General under observation while being treated for malnourishment._

Charles Swan had not left his daughter's side since they were reunited a couple of days ago. It was hard for him to see his little girl in a too big bed, hooked up to an IV. He felt utterly useless.

Unbeknownst to him, two rambunctious children were on their way with a huge surprise for a young Miss Swan. They had done very well with Bella's lemonade stand and Edward had even broken apart his piggy bank filled with the money he had received for his birthday the month before. It was enough for them to get the best surprise for their best friend.

The door to Bella's hospital room opened slowly, revealing the Cullen family of four led by Edward holding a nervously excited puppy against his chest.

"Look what we got you, Bella!" Edward announced excitedly while presenting the shocked little girl with a half Siberian Husky/half Rottweiler bundle of joy decorated with a bright red ribbon around his collar. The brown, black, and white puppy sniffed the length of his new owner's body before licking her cheek once and plopping himself down next to her tummy as she giggled.

"I'll name him Jake," Bella declared, softly stroking the puppy's head.

They were lucky Carlisle was the chief of medicine at the small hospital and was willing to overlook a dog inside, but it was hard to believe that anyone in the small town wouldn't allow whatever the hearts of these three children desired.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to my best friend, **The Original Bella**, for catching my mistakes and to **Pandora's Box is Heavy** for prereading and just generally putting up with me.

I have extra thanks for **Mylisssa** and her sassy 7-year-old for her assistance with early Bella, and to **CrackedFic **for his help with telling mini-Edward and mini-Alice what was going on.

**I can officially label this complete! I am so proud of myself for actually completing this challenge. Thank you to every single person involved in helping me complete this challenge. I assure you that you were all important.**

Find me on twitter: GetDOnV

I came up with back-stories for all of my entries so if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Don't forget to check out the entries from the other challengers. Just search for TheTwilight25 here on ffn and check out the community.


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